Parasaurolophus Info
The Parasaurolophus is a bipedal herbivorous dinosaur that lived in what is now western north America about 76 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. These dinosaurs were over 30 ft long and weighed about 5 tons. The most distinct part of the Parasaurolophus is the crest on its head, which were likely used for communication and hearing. Its name is derived from the Greek word’s para meaning near, saurus meaning lizard, and lophos meaning crest, translating to “near crested lizard”. It is also thought that while Parasaurolophus did walk on two legs they could also walk on all four legs if needed.
The Crest
The crest of a Parasaurolophus is very versatile part of their bodies, allowing them to communicate long distances with the crest producing loud noises due to the crest being connected to the nasal cavity of the Parasaurolophus this also allows them to warn their herd of near by dangers. This is the most widely accepted use for the crest though there have been many theories about its other uses. Some believe that it could be used for temperature regulation of the body with a nerve connecting the crest to the brain to detect changes in temperature. Others believe that it could have been a kind of snorkel with its connection to the nasal cavity so that the Parasaurolophus could stay underwater for long periods of time.